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West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee conferred with DLitt by St Xavier’s University
In January 2018, the state-run Calcutta University conferred an honorary DLitt on the chief minister in recognition of her social service
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee was conferred honorary degree of Doctor of Literature (DLitt.) by the St Xavier’s University in Kolkata on Monday.
Banerjee proposed a chair in the honour of St Mother Teresa at the university.
In 2016, Banerjee had gone to Vatican City to attend the canonization ceremony of Mother Teresa.
“I will dedicate this degree to the common people. I am a commoner myself,” she said while addressing the 4th convocation ceremony of St Xavier’s University in Kolkata.
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“I propose from the state government a chair in the honour of St Mother Teresa at the university,” Banerjee said.
This is the second DLitt she was conferred.
In January 2018, she was conferred DLitt by the Calcutta University.
West Bengal governor CV Ananda Bose, who was present at the occasion, showered praises on the chief minister.
“A deserving woman leader has been honored with a DLitt. This is not for her political achievement. For her political achievement, she had received similar awards from the people’s university. This is a recognition for pursue of excellence in literature, painting and poem,” said Bose.
Banerjee has already published 134 books. Six were launched in the 46th International Kolkata Book Fair (IKBF) which was inaugurated by her on January 30.
She had said that work was in progress to publish four to five new books, that are likely to be launched in the 2024 IKBF.
“We remember Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan. The Spalding professor of Oxford was a thinker and a writer. We also have none other than APJ Abdul Kalam who gave ‘Wings of Fire’ to the young generation and ignited their minds through his writings. We have the poet AB Vajpayee, in whose team Mamata Banerjee was a member. They are all statesman and politicians who were writers. We also have Winston Churchill. As the people of West Bengal, we are very glad as we have chief minister Mamata Banerjee in this distinguished league,” said Bose.
